Filling-replenishing loom.



No. 759,325. I PATENTED MAY 10,1904,

' M. L. STONE.

FILLING REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1004. V v 7 N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-MEET 1.

1": uonms mine co. mum-Lynn. wAsHmnYou u c No. 759,325. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904. M. L. STONE.

FILLING REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION PILEDJAN. 28, 1904. N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE Nowms Perms co. mow-Lima, wunmumn. DV 1:.

PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

M. L. STONE.

FILLING REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 28, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

JME nonms warms c0, HOTD-LITNO. wnumomm n. c.

=====E EEE-EIV UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN L. STONE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

OFILLING-REPLENISHING Loolvl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,325, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed January 28, 1904. Serial No. 191,022. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN L. STONE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lowell, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Filling-Replenishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to looms wherein provision is made for renewing or replenishing the running filling when the latter is broken or exhausted completely or to a predetermined extent. ter a plurality of filling-supplies are held in reserve, and when the condition of the running filling demands renewal thereof one of the reserve supplies of filling is automatically presented in proper position on the lay without interrupting the operation of the loom. Filling replenishing may be effected by substituting a filled shuttle for the running shuttle Whose supply of filling is exhausted or when the filling breaks, or replenishment may be effected by inserting fresh supplies of filling from time to time in the same shuttle. The latter type is more generally employed, and the filling-supplies in reserve are supported in a magazine or feeder, which is intermittingly moved to bring one filling-supply after another into position to be transferred to the running shuttle when replenishment is called for. The insertion of the fresh filling-carrier or bobbin into the shuttle effects automatically the ejection therefrom of the spent filling-carrier, the shuttle being constructed and arranged to automatically thread itself when the fresh filling is supplied.

I have illustrated my invention with more particular reference to the type of automatic loom just referred to, though its application is not restricted thereto, as will more clearly appear hereinafter. Such a loom forms the subjectainatter of United States Patent No. 529,940, the fillingcarriers being therein shown as held in reserve in an intermittinglyrotated feeder or magazine, a tranferrer removing the filling-carriers therefrom one by In looms of this characone and inserting the same in the shuttle. 5 The carrying capacity of the magazine is reduced by reason of the space requisite for the proper movement of the transferrer, so that the filling-carriers cannot be arranged in a complete circle, and the diameter of the magazine cannot readily be increased materially for various practical reasons. A maximum load for a magazine is about twenty-four filling-carriers or bobbins, and manifestly if this load could be multiplied several times reload- 6o ing would be correspondingly diminished.

In my present invention I have devised a novel magazine of very great carrying capacity, the reserve filling-supplies being contained in an endless flexible magazine or conveyer sustained and guided by a fixed support, the magazine being preferably mounted in upright position on the breast-beam or any other convenient and accessible fixed part of the loom. As the capacity of the magazine is so greatly increased, the frequency of reloading is correspondingly reduced, so that an operative having charge of a large number of looms can give his attention more freely to other matters connected with their operation. 7 5

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation of a portion of a loom with one embodiment of my novel filling-replenishing mechanism applied thereto, the filling magazine or conveyer and its fixed support being broken out between its upper and lower ends. Fig. 2 is a front ele- 8 5 vation of the main portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the novel features of my invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 3 3, Fig. l, a fillingcarrier being shown in position. Fig. iis an inner side elevation of the upper end of one of the tracks forming a part of the fixed support for the magazine. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper turn of the magazine or conveyer similar to the upper part of Fig. 1, but more in detail, the track being partly broken out. Figs. 6 and 7 are outer and inner side elevations of a link of one of the flexible members of the magazine. Fig. 8 is a view of the inner side of one of the tip-holding links. Fig. 9 is an inner side elevation of one of the head-holding links; and Fig. is a sectional detail on the line 10 10, Fig. 2, looking toward the left.

The lay A", having shuttle-boxes, one of which is shown in Fig. 1 at B, the breastbeam A, transferrer f, fulcrumed on a horizontal stud f mounted on the breast-beam, and the depending arm f of the transferrer, carrying a dog m adapted to be engaged by a bunter C on the lay, said dog being controlled by the controlling rock-shaft (Z to effect filling replenishment when said rock-shaft is turned in the direction of arrow 200, may be and are all of usual construction in the Northrop type of loom, which is illustrated in United States Patent No. 529,940 and others of later date.

In the present embodiment of my invention a stand 1 is rigidly secured to the breast-beam and projects rearwardly therefrom above the path of the lay, terminating in an upright portion 2 of any convenient height and having hollow bosses at its upper and lower ends in which are fastened strong horizontal and parallel rods 3 4, the stand also having a horizontal hub 5, in which the stud f is secured, the rods 3 and 4 projecting laterally toward the right. hand side of the loom. The outer end of the stud f has rigidly attached to it a bent standard 6 7 which is provided with suitable bosses 6 7 X to receive and support the outer ends of the rods 3 and 4, and in Fig. 3 the upper rod 3 is shown as held in place in the stand and standard, respectively, by suitable set-screws 8, a similar fastening 9 holding the standard on the stud f.

Referring to Fig. 2, the boss 6 is made large enough to receive loosely a sleeve 4 which is rotatably mounted on the rod 4 for a purpose to be described. The rods sustain an upright support for the filling feeder or magazine, said upright support consisting of two parallel elongated side plates 10 10, having upright and parallel front and rear faces or tracks 11 and 12, which are connected by upper and lower circularly-curved portions or ends 13 and 14, respectively. (See Fig. 1.) Arms 15 radiate from a hub 16 at the upper portion of each side plate to the curved end, bracing and strengthening it, the hub being secured on the rod 3 by a set-screw 17. (See Fig. 3.) A similar hub 18 and arms 19 brace and strengthen the lower end of each side plate 10, the hubs 18 being suitably secured to the rod 4 beyond the ends of the sleeve 4 so that a strong and firm but light support or trackwork is provided.

By reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 it will be seen that the inner face of each side plate is grooved or recessed to leave an overhanging flange 20, which follows the contour of the straight sides and curved ends of the track,

the flanges 20 of the two plates 10 extendbetween the adjacent side plate and a collar 20, (see Fig. 3,) secured to rod 3. The external circular face of each sprocket is of substantially the radius of the curved track portion 13, while the sprocket-teeth project beyond it. (See Fig. 3.) On the rotatable sleeve 4 two similar driving or actuating sprockets 23 24 are rigidly secured and held from lateral movement thereby; but the inner sprocket 23 has a ratchet 25 on its outer face adapted to be engaged by the tooth 26 of a pawl 27, pivotally mounted at 27 on the transferrer f. (See Figs. 1 and 10.) A detent-pawl 28, fulcrumed at 29 on the stand 1, also cooperates with the ratchet 25 and prevents retrograde movement of the sprocket. WVhen the transferrer descends to transfer a filling-carrier to the shuttle, the pawl 27 drops and its tooth 26 engages the next lower tooth of the ratchet, and when the transferrer returns to normal position it raises with it the pawl 27, and thereby effects advance of the sprockets 23 and 24 one tooth of the ratchet to effect feed movement of the feeder or magazine.

The feeder or magazine as herein shown consists of two endless flexible or articulated members, which are supported on and guided by the side plates 10 and which are engaged by the sprockets, one of said endless members having means to hold and sustain the heads of the filling-carriers, while the other member is provided with tip-holding means for the filling-carriers.

In the present embodiment of my invention each flexible member consists of three sets or series of pivotally-connected or articulated links, which can be conveniently made as castings, the middle series of links being made as short blocks 30, spaced to permit the sprocket-teeth to enter between them, said links traveling on the circular faces of the sprockets at the upper and lower ends of the run or path of movement. Pins or pivot members 31 extend transversely through the links, two for each link, the outer ends of the pins passing loosely through holes 32, Figs. 6 and 7, in the outer series of links 33, the projecting ends of the pins being enlarged and sliding upon the tracks 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the side plates 10. The shape of the links 33 is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, their bodies being deep enough to extend past the flange 20, referred to, and each link has at its bottom a lateral outwardly-extended lug or rib 34, which projects beneath the flange. (See Fig. 3.)

' These retaining lugs. or ribs cooperating with the inner faces or flanges 2O prevent any movement of the endless members of the magazine away from the tracks, while the projecting ends of the pivot-pins 31 serve to sustainthe said members during their travel. Lateral movement of said members away from each other is prevented by cooperation of the edges ofsaid flanges with the adjacent pivot-pins 31, and an upright flat web 37, provided on its inner face with a U-shaped flange 38. This flange, with the web, forms an open-ended and shallow pocket to receive the head 5 of a filling-carrier or bobbin 6,

the open ends of the pockets being turned outward from the tracks, so that the fillingearriers can be readilyinserted in the holders and as readily removed by the transferrer when required. The left-hand member or link belt of the magazine thus consists of a middle series of links 30, an outer series of links 33, having the retaining-ribs 34, and the inner series of links 35, provided with headholders for the filling-carriers, the links 33 and 35 being located opposite each other and breaking joints with the middle links 30. 1 The latter are the driving-links, as the teeth of the sprockets cooperate therewith, the two outer series of links preventing lateral displacement of the belt with relation to the sprockets.

It has already been stated that the righthand member or link belt of the magazine has a middle or driving series of links 30, an

' outer series 33, breaking joints therewith and provided with retaining-ribs 34, and I will now describe the third and inner series of links, having reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8. 1

Each link comprises a body 39, provided at its ends with holes 40 (see Fig. 8) for the pivot-pins 31, and the body is carried upward to form a thick web 41, having in its inner face an open-ended or U-shaped pocket 42 to receive the tip end of the filling-carrier. An opening through the web is made near the bottom of the pocket, asat 43, and through this opening is extended the free end of a spring 44, (clearly shown in Fig. 3,) the outer retaining projection 45.

extremity of the spring being bent to form a The opposite end of the spring is secured to the link-body by suitable means, as a rivet 46, Fig. 3.

When the filling-carrier is inserted, its head 5 is first put into the head-holder within the flange 38, and then its tip is pushed down into the pocket 42 of the tip-holding device on link 39, the tip pushing the spring back until past the projection 45. The tip then seats on the bottom of the pocket, and the projection 45 extends above the tip, as shown in Fig. 3, while the pressure of the spring acts longitudinally of the filling-carrier to hold its head firmly against the web 37 of the head-holder. One after another the filling-carriers are inserted in the magazine, and by reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the latter can be loaded throughout almost its entire extent, the only unloaded or empty portion being that through which the transferrerf' extends and operates. The height of the fixed guide and support determines the capacity of the magazine, and as the latter and its support are extended up above the breast-beam there is no other mechanism of the loom to interfere with it.

While the springs will hold the filling-carriers in proper position on the straight upper and lower runs and around the upper turn, I prefer to employ a guard around thelower turn, cooperating with the heads of the filling-carriers to obviate any possibility of premature displacement as they approach transferring position. For this purpose a segmental plate 47 is secured to the stand 1 adjacent the inner one of the sides plates 10, said plate having a curved flange 48 projecting laterally beyond the head-holders, so that as the fillingcarriers pass around the lower run of the magazine the flange will act as a guard for the heads of the filling-carriers and prevent them from moving out of the head-holders. The lower end of the guard terminates just back of the leading filling-carrier of the series, so that it can be freely moved from the magazine by the transferrer and inserted in the shuttle.

In order to hold each filling end, I have socured to one of the pins 31 of each pair a light rod 49, (best shown in Fig. 2,) having its tip bent at 50, the filling end 6 from the fillingcarrier being led across the top of the tipholder 41 and out to the end of the rod 49 and wound around the bond 50 thereof. These rods 49 are of course extended only from the right-hand or outer one of the link belts, which latter is provided with the tip-holders.

The operation, in brief, is as follows: The operative movement of the transferrerf from its normal position shown in the drawings transfers the endmost filling-carrier of the series from the magazine to the shuttle in wellknown manner to those familiar with the operation of the Northrop loom, and viewing Fig. 1 it will be understood that the endmost filling-carrier will be the one held directly beneath the path of movement of the transferrer and just beyond the end of the guard 48. When the filling-carrier is engaged by the transferrer, it is readily pushed out from the head and tip holding devices, hereinbefore described, the tip-holding spring 4A yielding as the tip of the filling-carrier is pushed past the projection 45 of the spring and the filling-carrier is inserted in the shuttle, thereby ejecting the spent filling-carrier. When the transferrer descends,the pivot 27 of the pawl 27 is lowered and the pawl-tooth 26 clicks over the ratchet 25 to engage the next lower tooth, and as the transferrer rises to normal position it lifts the pawl, and thereby advances the ratchet one tooth, the general construction and operation of this part of the apparatus shown being substantially as shown and described in United States Patent No. 664,790. As the transferrer reaches its normal retracted position a tooth 51 thereon is adapted to engage the ratchet and act as a stop to limit its advance movement. The step-by-step movement of the ratchet is of course transmitted to the driving-sprockets 23 24:, and thereby the endless flexible members or link belts of the magazine are moved longitudinally over the tracks on the side plates 10 to bring the next filling-carrier of the series into transferring position, and. this operation is repeated as often as filling replenishment is required.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be manifest that when the magazine is completely full there will be a slight preponderance of weight on the down side or run of the magazine, owing to the fact that the front portion of the lower turn of the magazine is empty in order to permit the operation of the transferrer, so that this slight preponderance of weight assists the actuating means in effecting advance of the series of filling-carriers from time to time.

The attendant replenishes the feeder as may be necessary by inserting filling-carriers on the upper run of the magazine.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be U modified or rearranged in different particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and the capacity of the magazine will be increased or diminished by varying the length of the fixed support and guide, the endless member of the magazine being va ried in length to correspond.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, including a magazine consisting of two parallel and flexible endless members adapted to sustain a plurality of reserve filling-supplies, parallel fixed tracks upon which said members are movably supported and guided, the tracks having straight sides and rounded ends, an intermittinglymovable actuating means to engage and effect advance movement of the magazine to position the filling-supplies for transfer, and means to automatically transfer the filling-supplies one by one to effect renewal of the running filling.

2. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, including a magazine consisting of two articulated and parallel endless members, devices on one of said members to hold the tip ends, and on the other member to hold the heads, of a plurality of filling-carriers, fixed tracks to support and laterally guide the articulated magazine members and maintain them in parallelism, means to simultaneously engage and-intermittingly advance said members to present the filling-carriers in transferring position, a transferrer to automatically transfer the filling-carriers one by one to the running shuttle, and a shuttle adapted to receive a filling-carrier.

3. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, including a magazine consisting of two articulated and parallel endless members provided with lateral lugs, tip and head holding devices mounted on said members, respectively, to sustain by their tip and heads a plurality of filling-carriers placed transversely to the direction of travel of the articulated members, fixed and parallel tracks having inturned flanges, the said magazine members being supported on the tracks with their lugscooperating with the inner faces of the track-flanges, whereby said members are guided and maintained in parallelism, rotatable sprockets to engage and intermittingly effect advance of said members in unison, a transferrer to tranfer the leading filling-carrier of the series to the running shuttle, and a running shuttle adapted to contain a filling-carrier when transferred thereto.

4. Filling-replenishing mechanism for looms, comprising a magazine consisting of two endless link belts, head-holding links forming members of one belt and tip-holding links forming members of the other belt, and oppositely located, fixed and parallel continuous tracks having straight sides and curved ends, upon which the two belts travel and are supported, means to guide the belts and prevent lateral movement thereof, means to intermittingly move the belts in unison, said head and tip holding links engaging and sustaining the heads and tips of a plurality of filling-carriers, and a transferrer to remove said filling-carriers one by one from the magazine. 7

5. A magazine or filling feeder for automatic filling-replenishing looms, consisting of two endless link belts, one of said belts comprising a series of head-holding links and oppositely-located supporting and guide links, and a series of intermediate links pivotally connecting them, the other belt comprising similar series of intermediate and guide links, and a series of tip-holding links, the latter having attached filling-end-retaining means, the head and tip holding links being located opposite each other in the two belts, fixed and parallel tracks to sustain and cooperate with the guide-links of the two belts, and means to positively engage and intermittingly move said belts longitudinally in unison, the heads and tips of a plurality of filling-carriers being sustained by the head and tip holding links respectively.

6. A magazine or filling feeder for automatic filling-replenishing looms, consisting of two endless link belts, a series of socketed endholding links forming part of one belt, an oppositely-located series of soeketed tip-holding links having retaining-springs, forming part of the other belt, fixed and parallel tracks to support and guide the belts and maintain them in parallelism, filling-carriers being removably sustained by the holding-links of the two belts, and positively-acting sprockets to engage the latter and effect their longitudinal movement in unison.

7. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a filling-carrier, filling-replenishing mechanism, comprising an upright, fixed support having continuous,parallel tracks,an endless conveyeror magazine mounted thereon and adapted to support a plurality of filling-carriers, guidesproekets for the upper end of the conveyer, actuating-sprockets in operative engagement with the lower end thereof, means to intermittingly rotate the actuating-sprockets and thereby efiect advance of the conveyer to place the filling-carriers in transferring position, and a transferrer to automatically remove the filling-carrier, one by one from the conveyer and insert them in the shuttle.

8. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a filling-carrier,filling-replenishing mechanism, comprising an upright, fixed support having continuous, parallel tracks,a conveyer or magazine consisting of articulated, endless members mounted upon and guided by said tracks, means on said members to engage the heads and tips of filling-carriers, filling-end holders on and extended laterally from one of said endless members, idler and actuating sprockets for the upper and lower turns, respectively, of the conveyer, means to intermittingly rotate the actuating sprockets to effect feed movement of the conveyer, and means to engage and transfer the filling-carriers one by one from the conveyer to the shuttle.

9. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a filling-carrier, filling-replenish in g mechanism, comprising an upright, fixed support having continuous, parallel tracks, a conveyer or magazine consisting of articulated, endless members mounted upon and guided by said tracks, means on said members to engage the heads and tips of filling-carriers, filling-end holders on and extended laterally from one of said endless members, idler and actuating sprockets for the upper and lower turns,respecti vely, of the conveyor, means to intermittingly rotate the actuating sprockets to effect feed movement of the conveyer, a transferrer to engage and remove the filling-carriers one by one from the lower turn of the conveyer and insert them in the shuttle, and a curved, stationary guard at the lower turn of the conveyer to cooperate with the heads of the filling-carriers and prevent their accidental removal before reaching transferring position.

10. Filling replenishing mechanism for looms, consisting of two upright fixed tracks having semicircular ends, an inturned, continuous flange on each track, a conveyer or magazine to support a series of filling-carriers and consisting of two link belts each consisting of three sets of links, pivots connecting them and extending beyond the outer set of links to travel upon the adjacent track, the said links having outturned lugs to extend beneath the track-flange, and holding means for the filling-carriers on the inner set of links, connected idler sprockets to cooperate with the inner set of links of each belt at the upper turn of the conveyer, actuating-sprockets cooperating in like manner at the lower turn to effect advance of the conveyer, means to intermittingly rotate the actuating-sprockets, and a transferrer to transfer the leading filling-carrier from the conveyer at the lower turn thereof to the shuttle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MELVIN L. STONE.

Witnesses:

J OHN J. PICKMAN, CHARLES M. Po'r'rnn. 

